The Waterloo Region District School Board (WRDSB) recognizes the value of providing opportunities and partnerships with colleges, universities and other training agencies and strives to provide a safe and healthy workplace for all placements. Placements could take place across a variety of different programs and departments within the WRDSB and may include, but are not limited to: teacher candidates, educational assistant students, and interns.

Volunteers do not fall under this program.

Resources

A. Interested in a Placement with WRDSB?

Placement Coordinators or students interested in arranging an unpaid post-secondary placement (UPSP) with WRDSB must have approval by the site’s Administrator (Principal or Vice-Principal) or Department Supervisor prior to students performing any work in our workplace.

To arrange an unpaid placement, the following forms must be provided, along with a copy of the placement site’s Administrator approval:

Terms and Conditions of the Placement

B. I’ve got the Placement! What else do I need to do to prepare?

All placement students must complete and participate in the safety orientation with their Administrator/Supervisor prior to performing any work at a WRDSB site. A record of the orientation is to be documented using the Safety Orientation Checklist for UPSP (HR-16-100).

Students must complete the following prior to the first day of their placement:

  • Mandatory Online Training
  • Police Vulnerable Sector Check
  • HR-16-100 Safety Orientation Checklist for UPSP – Sections A and B

Step 1 – Obtain a Police Vulnerable Sector Check

All WRDSB placements require proof of a valid Police Vulnerable Sector Check.

  • Police Vulnerable Sector Checks are obtained through your local police department and may take up to 3 weeks to obtain.
  • An original copy dated within the past 6 months must be provided.
  • Records check must not indicate any prior convictions.
  • WRDSB does not compensate placement students for the cost of the records check.

Step 2 – Complete Mandatory Online Training

Due to issues with the website vtrain.wrdsb.ca, students will not be able to create a password to allow re-entry into the site after initial enrollment, and they will not receive certificates of completion for the courses.
If possible, students are asked to complete the courses at one time. If you have already enrolled and require re-entry, please contact the IT Service Desk at 519-570-0003 ext. 5566 or have a WRDSB staff member enter a ticket through the ITS Service Desk with your contact information.
Students can verify with their placement supervisor that they have completed the training and sign off on the form as confirmation. Students may not be able to complete all courses prior to the start of their placement due to this issue, but can proceed with starting their placement with the understanding they complete all required training as soon as access is available.
We apologize for the inconvenience and thank you for your patience as we work towards implementing a long-term solution.

Self-enrol in the WRDSB’s online training. Use the Student Online Training Guide to assist in registering and completing all required training modules. Once registered, candidates can access the online training modules by clicking this link: vtrain.wrdsb.ca.

  • All online training modules must be completed prior to the start of the placement.
  • Placement students will receive an email confirmation upon completion of each module within the training.
  • Email confirmations must be available as proof of completion prior to performing any work at a WRDSB site.

If you are a returning student (i.e., completing a second placement at the WRDSB), you must complete all the required training modules annually (as is required of WRDSB staff). The Worker Health and Safety Awareness module required by the Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development is a one-time only training. If you have a record of completing this training, then it does not need to be completed again.

C. My First Day

Placement students are expected to provide the following documents prior to, or on, the first day of their placement:

D. I’ve started my Placement. Is there anything else I need to know?

  • Placement students have all of the same rights as any other worker under the OHS Act including the right to refuse unsafe work. Questions or concerns during your placement should be brought forward immediately to the Administrator/Supervisor.
  • Accidents/Incidents must be reported immediately to the placement Administrator/Supervisor in order to complete and submit any required documentation/reporting. This is especially important when there is health care or lost time.

E. Questions?

Please contact your Site Administrator or Department Supervisor if you have any questions. For questions relating to the required Health & Safety training, please contact healthandsafety@wrdsb.ca.